Caster wheel



Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,598

v H.G.RUNNE y CASTER WHEEL Filed March 2l, 1922 y /u ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STAIRS 1,483,598 raraar erstes.

HENRY G. RUNNE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT IND MESNE.AS- SIGNMENTS, TO E. MAURICE TRIMBLE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CASTER WHEEL.

Application filed March 21, 1922.

To all who/m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY Gr. RUNNE, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain I new and usefulImprovements in Caster Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, andto the reference numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to furniture,

and more particularly to such articles ofk furniture as are mounted uponwheels to be 16 moved about, and it has for its object to provide animproved swivel wheel or caster for such uses and one particularlyadapted for use on childrens cribs. The improvements are directed inpart toward improving l0 the bearing connection between the caster wheeland the crib or other article of furniture to give it strength anddurability coupled with ease of operation and toward providing a simpleand inexpensive means for locking the caster in place, which meanspermits the caster to be quickly assembled with or detached from thecrib. To these and other ends the invention consists in certainimprovements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter morefully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims atthe end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a caster wheel constructedin accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention,parts of the structure being broken away and other parts being shown invertical section; y

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrow;

. Figure 3 is a top view of the swivel, and

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the locking washer.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts.

Referring to Figure 1, it may be assumed that 1 and 2 indicate the sideand end rails of thebottom frame of the crib bed and 3 one of the sidepanels thereof. In the practice of my invention I bore a vertical hole 4through one of these elements and fit closely therein a bushing 5. rllhelower end of the Serial No. 545,535.

bushing is flanged at 6 to provide an extended bearing surface whichalso forms an attaching means 'to receive screws 7 by means of which thebushing is held in the frame piece. The bushing is of sufficient height,preferably, to extend entirely through the frame piece and come outflush or nearly so on its upper side.

The caster wheel 8 in the present instance, is a large rubber tiredwheel, such as is usually employed to support a crib bed well up fromthe floor. It turns on an axle 9 extending between the lower ends of thearm of an axle yoke 10. The horizontal connecting portion 11 at the topof the yoke carries a vertical stud 12 which is riveted therein, theyoke being confined between the shoulder 13 on the stud and a headedportion 14. A washer 15 is preferably interposed to` lie on the top ofthe yoke and is held tightly in place by the riveting. A stud 12occupies the bearing provided by the bushing in which it turns freely ona vertical axis offset from the relatively transverse axis of theaxle 9in the mann-er of a caster and the washer 15 turns against the extendedbearing surface on the under side of the bushing.

The upper end of the stud 12 projects slightly above the upper end ofthe bushing where it terminates in a head 16 above a shoulder 17 that isapproximately flush with the upper end of the bushing, the head andshoulder leaving an intermediate re duced portion. Upon this reducedportion is snapped a spring locking clip 18 of the form shown in detailin Figure et. The central opening' 19 of this clip is the size of thereduced portion of the stud while a connecting slot 2() that bifurcatesthe clip is slightly narrower than the diameter of the reduced portionso that the clip spreads slightly when applied to the stud and thensprings back into place in a manner that holds it tight upon the reducedportion. An eye 21 is preferably formed on the clip as a convenience inusing a hook or other tool in removing the clip when desired. The clipthus retains the stud of the axle yoke in its bearing in the bushing andrides against the upper end of the latter when the wheels are liftedfrom the licor.

The caster constructed in accordance with my invention is strong anddurable, and very easy to assemble, or to detach, which operation can beaccomplished by unskilled persons which is convenient in shipping` thecribs or other articles in a knocledown Stute.

I claim as my invention:

l. In furniture, the combination with n frame piece having :1 bushingtherein provided with an extended bearing Surface ron its under side,o't' a wheel`r un axle yoke eupported thereby und upon Which the Saidbearing surface rests', u stud fixed to the yoke and extending rotatablythrough the bushiup` to projeit from the upper Side thereof, suchprojecting portion being` provided with a heath und u Spring lockingclip embracingthe Stud beneath the head, said clip being of :ibifurcuted formation permitting it to be snapped into or out of engagingposition.

Q. ln furniture, the combination with :L frame piece having a vertice-lbearingtherein, of uv W'heel, un axle yoke Supported thereby und uponwhich the yoke rests, a Stud fixed to the. yoke und extending rotatablythrough the traine piece to project from the upper Side 'thereof suchprojecting` portion being provided with u head, and a Spring lockingclip embracing' the stud beneath the head, said clip beingof abifurcated tormetion permittingit to be snapped into or out oit engagingposition.

HENRY G. RUNNE.

